The 6th Grade Secret Library
RING, RING, RING!!! The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. I rushed past everyone, weaving my way in and out of crowds. I had to find my friend, Abby. She keeps disappearing during history class, telling Ms. Hickery she needs to go to the bathroom. But she never comes back. Why does Abby keep sneaking away? What does she do during that time? Where does she go? I wondered, thoughts thundering in my brain. I guess it was time for me to find out…
I listed the places Abby always goes to from most likely to least likely:
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I started searching. I went to the Middle School Fantasy Library because Abby loves reading.
“Are you looking for a book, Claire?” asked the librarian, Ms. McFan, as I entered the room.
“No,” I told her, “Do you know where Abby is?”
“No, sorry,” Ms. McFan answered.
“Oh, okay. I was just here looking for her,” I explained, seeing the confusion on her face. “Bye! See you later!” I called.
“See you soon!” Ms. McFan replied.
I walked out of the library, feeling dazed. Where would Abby be if she weren’t in her favorite library? All the other possibilities seem wrong now, I wondered. Should I still go to the Sunny Cafeteria? Then I remembered: the reason I was doing this was to find Abby, so I should go everywhere to find her. I started sprinting towards the cafeteria — and almost, almost missing the barely noticeable outline of a door, hidden among the bricks…
What is that? Why is it here? Who made it? Who knows about it? Why can’t I notice it? Do the teachers know about it? How long ago was it made? Why didn’t I see it before? I wondered, as an avalanche of questions slipped through my brain, Is this where Abby is? I decided to knock on the door. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!! I waited and waited and waited…
Suddenly, a piece of paper came out of one of the gaps between the bricks. It said, Rehcaetauoyera? I turned the paper this way and that. Uh-oh, this is going to take a long time, I thought. I entered the cafeteria and sat down in my usual chair.
Unexpectantly, I realized what the note was asking me! It meant: Are you a teacher? All I had to do was write the letters backwards! I sprinted out of the cafeteria and wrote ‘No’ on the paper. I slid it through the same slot the people inside did. Almost immediately, I received an answer. Come in, it said. I pushed the door open…and saw Abby.
“Abby!” I whispered, hugging her.
“Hi, Claire!” she answered.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“It is a secret library for people who want books that are checked out in the regular libraries,” Abby told me.
“Wow!” I exclaimed, breathless. There were books stacked up to the ceiling of the room, surrounding the place like walls. “Who else knows about this?” I inquired.
“All your friends in this school are helping out, and now, the whole 6th grade knows!” she exclaimed. “Do you want to join?” whispered Abby.
“Of course!” I exclaimed.
From then on, every day during lunch, my friends and I gathered up in the library. That is how the 6th Grade Secret Library began.